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Background Many physiological, psychological, and environmental stressors can be experienced by pilots throughout their careers, which may affect their mental and psychological health and their performance consequently. Stressing factors of aviation and commercial operations can result in pilots' burnout, which is a description of the response to chronic emotional exhaustion and loss of motivation. Objective The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of burnout and compare the effects of different coping strategies on burnout levels among commercial pilots in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 2023 Methods The study was a cross-sectional survey utilizing an online form of a validated questionnaire administered to pilots of Saudi commercial airlines in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study targeted on-duty Saudi commercial pilots, excluding retired and in-training pilots, with an estimated population of around 2000. A sample size of 311 was determined using an equation considering a 5% margin of error, 95% confidence level, and a 60.3% burnout prevalence rate. Non-probability snowball sampling method was used to achieve sample size. Results A total of 321 pilots were included, mostly Saudis. The participants had a median age of 47, and the majority were married with one to two children. BMI classifications showed high percentages of overweight and obese individuals. The study found that most pilots experienced medium levels of burnout (70.1%). Nationality, marital status, and shorter sleeping duration were significantly associated with higher burnout levels. Common challenges included long duties (79.4%), irregular working hours (72.3%), and time away from home (55.5%). Coping strategies included rest and sleep (81%), exercise (59.2%), and relaxation behaviors (50.5%). Stressors such as long duties, irregular working hours, and work conflicts were significantly associated with higher burnout levels. However, no significant associations were found between coping strategies and burnout levels. Conclusion The study found that most pilots experienced medium levels of burnout. In addition, common challenges included long duties, irregular working hours, and time away from home. The study emphasizes the need to address work-related stressors, implement interventions, and support pilots' mental health. Promoting healthy coping strategies and understanding individual resilience is important. Further research and organizational efforts are required to mitigate burnout and enhance the quality of life for aviation professionals, benefiting both individuals and the industry.
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Background Jeddah has the highest international traffic and is among the most diverse cities in Saudi Arabia. The chance of importing an emerging communicable disease is significant, particularly during the religious seasons. Therefore, timely and accurate reporting of communicable diseases at primary health care centers (PHCCs) is crucial. Objectives The main objective of this study was to assess physicians' knowledge, practices, and perceptions of reporting communicable diseases at PHCCs in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods The study was a cross-sectional study comprising 143 physicians from all PHCCs in Jeddah from October 2017 to February 2018. An electronic questionnaire was used to collect data to assess the physicians' knowledge, practices, and perceptions related to reporting communicable diseases at PHCCs. Results A total of 106 physicians participated in the study. Although only 21.7% of the physicians had received training on reporting communicable diseases, the average knowledge score for the six commonly reported diseases was 72%. More than half (58.5%) of the physicians indicated that they had reported at least one disease. However, there was no agreement on who should be responsible for reporting communicable diseases at PHCCs. Furthermore, some obstacles were perceived that could prevent disease reporting, including physicians not knowing which diseases to report (66%), not knowing how or whom to report to (54.7%), and a limited diagnostic or laboratory capacity (52.8%). Conclusions Reporting communicable diseases at PHCCs was of adequate quality. However, some obstacles must be addressed, and regular applied training must be provided. More extensive assessments are needed to improve the reporting of communicable diseases locally and nationally.
RESUMO
Introduction Jeddah is one of the busiest and multicultural cities in Saudi Arabia. It poses a higher risk of importing and spreading emerging communicable diseases because of the increased international traffic during the seasons of Hajj and Umrah. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) emphasizes the role of primary health care centers (PHCCs) as the first gate of the health care system. Therefore, having an efficient and effective communicable disease surveillance system (CDSS) at the level of PHCCs is crucial to provide early warning and sustain health security. Methods This study took place at all PHCCs in Jeddah city between September 2017 and January 2018 as a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were collected from CDSS key informants using an interview-based questionnaire to evaluate the performance of CDSS by assessing its core and support functions at PHCCs. Results The majority (93%) of PHCCs had reporting forms, and all of them had working laboratories. However, about 41% of PHCCs had the standard manual and only in the Arabic language, 12% were performing basic data analysis, and none of them had a written plan for epidemic response. Although Internet access was available at only 33% of PHCCs, other resources such as computers, printers, and personal protective equipment (PPE) were available at all PHCCs. Conclusion CDSS at PHCCs had an acceptable performance especially in functions such as reporting, confirmation, and supervision. However, other functions such as detection, registration, data analysis, epidemic preparedness, and feedback need to be strengthened. More comprehensive evaluations are required to further enhance the CDSS in Jeddah and Saudi Arabia.
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Background Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a global problem. According to its definition, it is a disorder that occurs with some people who have undergone or witnessed a shocking, terrifying, or hazardous event, and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with its consequent threats and fear meets the definition of a traumatic event. The main aim of this study is to determine PTSD in healthcare workers (HCWs) who survived COVID-19 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Subjects and methods Through an analytical cross-sectional study, HCWs working in Jeddah city with a minimum of seven days since their first positive COVID-19 result were included in this study. They were screened using the 'PTSD checklist for The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)' (PCL-5), which is a 20-item self-report measure that assesses the presence and severity of PTSD symptoms. Results Out of all respondents (n=404), there was slight dominance of females (54.0%) over males (46.0%), and an almost equal distribution of Saudis (51.2%) and non-Saudis (48.8%); their mean age accounted for 36.9±8.7 years. PTSD was detected in 14.9%; the prevalence was significantly higher in those who had chronic diseases (23.7%), especially diabetics (30.8%) and obesity (41.2%), HCWs whose job necessitates exposure to positive cases (18.8%), and those who were isolated in hospitals while being ill. All the above values were statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion and recommendations The prevalence of PTSD in the HCWs who survived COVID-19 came within the range of that in HCWs who were dealing with cases of COVID-19 without being affected. Efforts should be made to alleviate stress in HCWs during their work in pandemics.
